Three
by DeBo81
Summary: The Triple Killer is back in town and he has three new targets. Will Castle, Ryan and Esposito be able to save the women they love before its too late?   Takes place early in season 4.  Very minor season 4 spoilers possible.   Rated T for language.
1. Special Delivery

**Hello friends! I hope your summer is going well! Just a little over a month left until we get our Castle Mondays back, and I for one am excited.**

**Anyway, as you can see I've written something again, and I hope you enjoy it. This one has been bouncing around in my head for a while now, but finally decided to take form. It wouldn't be here at all though if my friend Teelduo hadn't been willing to step in as BETA, research assistant and cheerleader, so Teelduo, thank you so much! :)**

**This story takes place early in season 4 and does contain some very very minor SPOILERS, but nothing most of you who are spoiler free haven't heard. If you're on the fence about what it might spoil, drop me a PM and I can let you know if you have anything to worry about.**

**Also you should be aware that the rough draft of this entire story is complete, and just waiting for final edits and posting (time permitting) and many of these chapters unintentionally ended up being VERY short. I tried to pad them a bit but I felt it was just that, padding, and took out the extras almost right away. It didn't add anything to the story but words, and I don't roll like that. Much of this story wrote itself so if a chapter said I'm done after only a page or two, I listened and I think that's OK.**

**Another note about this story is that every chapter is a different character's point of view, I hope that doesn't bring anyone confusion. I thought it was kind of fun!**

**OK, so now it's time to get to the real reason you're here, to read the fic. If all goes well the entire story should be up in a few days, a week tops, so if you enjoy it I promise you won't have to wait long for the next installment!**

**Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the laptop this story was written on. Castle characters and locations will never be mine.  
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"Three"

Chapter 1

Special Delivery

At five thirty in the morning, the alarm on Kate's night stand began to buzz. Normally she would hit the snooze at least twice before getting up, especially on a Monday, but today was different. Today Detective Kate Beckett was back. Sure, she'd technically been back to work for all of September, but only on restricted duty since she was still recovering from being shot in May.

Now, after three months of recovery and more than a month of limited activity at the precinct, nothing would hold her back. Today she'd get back her piece and the keys to her Crown Vic, and would also get to go out and question suspects, follow leads and actually leave her desk without having half a dozen sets of eyes on her wondering if she was going to disobey orders, again.

As Kate stepped into the steamy shower, she thought back to the day several weeks ago when she took matters into her own hands and went out to follow a lead, despite knowing that she was not yet cleared for field work. In retrospect it was indeed a bad idea, but at the time it seemed the right thing to do. The guys had returned to the crime scene they were working, and Captain Gates was in a meeting. Even Rick was gone that morning, doing a meet and greet at a writing seminar at NYU. So when a time sensitive tip came in, she figured she could handle the interview without rocking the boat. She was wrong. Rico Sanchez turned out to be a strung out, frightened ex con with a quick temper and quicker reflexes. Had Kate not left the note on Ryan's desk, telling him where she was going, there was no way the boys would have made it to the scene before someone was seriously injured. As is, when Esposito busted down the door to the dingy office, Rico already had Kate pinned to the wall.

That incident cost her her weapon, her vehicle, two extra weeks of physical therapy and a lot of pride. Rick who had barely left her side before then, now made it a point to be at her desk before she was every morning and saw her home every night. Ryan and Esposito worked hard to keep a stack of "very important" busy work on her desk in an attempt to help her feel useful. And even Lanie took to calling her through the work day just to say hi, but Kate knew it was to check in with her. But maybe one of the worst parts was that their new boss, Captain Victoria Gates, who barely knew Beckett, no longer trusted her. The new chief was already openly against having Castle there for a multitude of reasons, and was essentially breathing down their necks,waiting to find a good reason to kick him out, but now she watched Kate's every move as well, because in less than four days back at work, Kate showed herself to be impetuous and defiant.

Just thinking about the new captain made Beckett tense up, which inevitably brought a dull ache to her recently mended muscles. She stepped back farther into the hot stream of water to relieve the tension but didn't try to change her thoughts. Captain Gates, or "Iron Gates" as she was called behind her back, was not a bad chief but neither was she God's gift to the 12th.

Understandably it would be an awkward and difficult situation no matter who stepped into Montgomery's place, and according to Esposito and Ryan, at least in the beginning, Gates tried to make the transition as smooth as possible for everyone involved, but it was still an incredibly difficult time, especially for Kate .

Captain Gates, while not unkind, showed very little sympathy for the department personnel who still felt the loss of Roy. She also had very little patience for anybody who worked outside of her preconceived box. Iron Gates was organized, by the book, and motivated to quickly accomplish both her agenda and reach the departmental goals whether they be to solve a specific case, to cut spending, or to improve the percentage of closed cases. So by the time that Beckett returned, with Castle in tow, there was very little wiggle room left in what Kate had previously and comfortably thought of as her territory.

Fortunately they were slowly learning to work together, for better or worse, with only minimal chafing. It was silently understood that everyone hoped that with Beckett's return to full duty, maybe more of the tension would ease.

After her shower, Kate went back to her bedroom and draped her towel across her bed as she headed to her dresser for clothes. The mirror above the large piece of furniture reflected her image back to her and she couldn't help but see the long inverted Y shaped scar that ran from one side to the other, across her upper belly. Kate ran her finger along the raised mark and sighed. It was a daily reminder of so much; her mom, Roy, almost losing her own life, and Castle.

Tearing her eyes away from the mirror, Kate opened her drawer and quickly grabbed a bra and pair of underwear. She dressed in her underthings and then grabbed her robe and headed to the kitchen. She never used to eat breakfast before work, but now that she was on daily immunosuppressive medication for the rest of her life, eating each morning was another new addition to her routine.

XXXX

That fateful day in May, as Kate gave the eulogy for her dear friend and mentor, a sniper targeted her. If the bullet hadn't nicked the microphone, altering its trajectory, she wouldn't be here right now. Snipers often aim for the head, and they rarely miss. But someone was watching over her that day and the bullet did miss its mark and found her liver instead. She almost died right there on the grass and again in surgery, but somehow she came through both, needing a new liver, but otherwise stable.

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, there were no livers available, even for one of New York's finest, and with an injury like hers, time wasn't a commodity that she had to spare. Her doctors told her dad that her only option might be for a living donor to give her part of their liver. Jim immediately volunteered but due to age and his past with alcoholism, was not an acceptable candidate. In desperation, he turned to her other family, the ones not related by blood. Of course there was no shortage on willing donors, only on viable candidates. Only one person was a match, but that was enough. Castle wanted more than anything to save Kate's life no matter the cost or risk, and within hours was under the knife.

When she woke up the next day to find Rick in a hospital bed on the other side of the room, she was more than mildly surprised.

"What are you doing here?" she'd asked weakly.

But he only smiled and in a pain medicated haze told her that if she showed him her scar, he would show her, his.

Over the next weeks, they recovered side by side; first, at the hospital and then at Rick's loft. It was August before Kate was finally strong enough to move back home. Castle of course begged her not to go, but Kate needed to go, especially now with their relationship slowly starting to move forward. They needed space and normalcy, and living under the same roof would not allow for that.

XXXX

Beckett swallowed a handful of pills, which was another part of her new normal, put her bowl in the sink and then headed back to her room to dress. It was well after six already and if she wanted to be at the station by seven thirty, she needed to keep moving.

Before starting on her hair and make up, Kate typed out a quick text to Lanie.

**R we still on for lunch? Remy's or Golden Dragon?**

After the message was sent, she tossed the phone on the bed and began her makeup while she waited. By the time Kate was completely dressed and ready to go, which took longer than usual since she wanted to look her best so as to illustrate how healthy she actually was, she still hadn't received a reply. Maybe the ME was called in for a body, and if that was the case, no doubt, she'd be getting called in soon as well.

Beckett looked at her watch. Ten past seven. If she was going to stop and grab pastries for the boys she needed to leave now. She grabbed her purse and then remembered that her phone was still on the bed.

Before she went back to grab it, there was a knock on the door.

Quietly Kate went to the door and looked out the peep hole. She couldn't see anything but flowers. She grinned despite herself. Evidently Castle had remembered today was her big day back too and was celebrating. She knew he missed the field work as much as she did.

Carefully, without unlocking the chain, she opened the door a crack. "Hello?"

The man hidden behind the extravagant bouquet replied, "Flowers for Detective Kate Beckett!"

"That's me. Hold on, let me unlock the door." Kate shut the door just long enough to remove the chain and then opened it all the way.

The man took a half step forward to pass the flowers to her but the vase and bouquet was absolutely huge.

"Ma'am, it might be easier if you just told me where you want this."

"Sure," she replied. "The coffee table is right here."

He followed her in and put the flowers down. "I just need you to sign the delivery receipt for me."

As the man in the green florist's cap searched his pocket for his receipt tablet, Kate looked at the card. It simply said "Surprise". She bent over to smell a large pink lily and was a bit taken back by the smell. It was stronger than she thought it should be, almost like perfume.

When she stood up to sign the notebook she noticed that she swayed a little. _Weird_ she thought.

Hank, as his tag read, also noticed. "You OK Ma'am?"

"Yeah, just stood up too quickly I guess."

Kate handed him the pad and pen and followed him back to the door.

"Well you have a great day then," he replied as he started to walk away.

But before she could even close the door everything in Kate's world went black.


	2. Manic Monday

Chapter 2

Manic Monday

At ten minutes to eight Richard Castle strolled into the bullpen of the 12th. In his right hand was a tray of four tall coffees, in his left, a large bag of bagels. He headed first to Kate's desk, but when he saw no signs of her, detoured to Ryan's desk instead.

"Where are Beckett and Esposito?"

The detective briefly looked up at his friend with an annoyed look and then went back to his paperwork. "Good morning to you too. How was your weekend? Mine was great, thanks for asking."

Rick placed a hot paper cup on Ryan's desk and tossed him the bag of food. "Sorry. I didn't mean to infer anything there. I was just surprised that today of all days Kate, er, Beckett wouldn't be in early. And then when I saw Esposito wasn't here either I just thought maybe there was a case..." Castle's voice trailed off. Ryan wasn't looking mollified. "Never mind. So what did you do this weekend?"

Kevin was busy spreading cream cheese on his breakfast. He never looked up, but after a few moments, finally spoke. "Not much. Hung out with my brother, caught the Knicks game, and oh, Jenny and I made an offer on a condo."

"Hey that's great! Where at?"

Before he could answer, Javier jogged down the stairs. Castle held up a coffee for him as he approached.

"Gracias Dude!"

"Where have you been?" Ryan asked his partner.

"I've started sparring with McGee from Narc. We hit the gym around seven. Why? Did I miss something?"

"No. Just curious."

Castle was tempted to make a comment about Javier needing to check in more often with his work wife, but figured Ryan was already a bit pissed, and wisely kept it to himself.

Esposito took a long drink, then sauntered over to his own desk.

"Becks isn't in yet? I would have bet good money that she was going to be early today."

"Us too," replied Ryan

The sound of the elevator opening caught attention of the three men. Expecting to see Beckett, Castle was visibly let down when only a file clerk, emerged.

"You guys think I should call her? She doesn't normally run late. I'm getting a little concerned."

Ryan looked at his watch. "It's only just eight now, maybe she got stuck in traffic or she's a little nervous about jumping back in."

Rick didn't think so but didn't have a chance to say so. Gates, chose that moment to stick her head out of her office, summoning Esposito and Ryan. When Castle started to follow, she shook her head and pointed at his chair next to Kate's desk, making it clear he wasn't invited and then shut the door behind the detective team.

Now that Castle was alone in the bullpen, his imagination took hold of all the possible reasons why Kate hadn't shown up yet, some much less plausible than others. Finally he decided he was likely overreacting and texted her.

**Running late? Thought U'd B here by now. Everything OK?**

After sending the message, he put his phone back into his pocket and took the remaining coffee and bagels to Beckett's desk and then sat in her seat. Several files were on top which he nosed through, but they weren't very interesting so he tried to scrounge through her drawers. All locked. What was he supposed to do when Kate wasn't around and the guys were in a private meeting? He figured he'd just have to wait and brought his phone back out to play Angry Birds.

When the Captain's door opened again and the guys emerged, Esposito looked concerned. Ryan looked very pale.

"What's up? Castle asked.

"Don't know exactly." Javier answered as he stood next to Beckett's seat and began opening files. "These aren't our cases, but Detective Novak over at the 6th, sent some files over here for us to look at. Wanted to know if we thought they connected to a previous case we worked."

"Which one?" Rick asked as he looked at the crime scene photos from the first file.

Ryan answered quietly, "Jerry Tyson."

"The Triple Killer?"

Both detectives nodded. Rick pushed away the first file and took another. "But he choked his victims with rope and then laid them out peacefully. Even when he had Marcus Gates copy him, the MO stayed the same. These women all had their throats slit."

Ryan paced between the desk and the white board. "If it's him, he's definitely changed things up."

"What evidence points toward Tyson?"

Espisito began putting up the evidence and photos on the white board. "The victims, which are three women, were found at separate locations in Greenwich Village within a thirty-six hour time frame last week. All three were found laying on their beds posed as if they were asleep, but no evidence shows that they were actually killed in their homes. The kicker though, is when the coroner's office did the exam, they found ligature marks on all of their wrists and ankles. After closer examination they found that they were all tied with a green and white, 3 strand nylon rope, just like the ones Tyson and Gates used."

Castle blew a breath of air out through his teeth and rubbed his head.

Ryan leaned on the desk and hung his head for a moment before looking back to Rick. "Tyson has my badge and my gun, what if he's using them to get to these women?"

"We don't even know it's him."

"Oh, it's him. It has to be. It's been a year and now he's back. But for what reason? He knows we're still looking for him. He was too smart to just walk in and try again."

Rick looked from one friend to the other but when he looked at Javier something on the murder board behind him caught his eye and made his blood run cold.

"What is it, Bro?"

"Look at the photos, not the crime scene ones, but the pictures of the victims."

So they did. Twenty eight year old Gretchen Altoff was a petite blonde with a sweet smile. Thirty four year old Nadine Webster was a sassy looking African American woman with flawless caramel skin and thirty one year old Jess Wilcox was a statuesque brunette with fire in here eyes.

As Castle studied the photos, hoping that what he saw in front of him wasn't really Tyson's new MO, he recalled Marcus Gates' words from the year before. "With this Triple Killer fella running around, you all better keep your loved ones close."

Javier swore in Spanish, under his breath, and then looked back at the other two men who were quite literally white with fright.

Simultaneously all three reached for their phones to try and contact Jenny, Lanie and Kate.

XXXX

Ryan was pacing again, this time in the chief's office as the men frantically explained their suspicions and fears.

"OK, each of you take a uniform and go find them. Check their homes, gyms, work, favorite breakfast spots, or wherever you think they could be. Call me if you find anything," Gates instructed.

No one needed to be told twice. All three men headed out in different directions but for a single goal... to make sure the women they loved were safe.

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**A/N: 2 chapters in one day! Bonus!**

**To those who have already started reading, reviewing, tweeting and adding this to your alerts, Thank You! I was pleasantly surprised to find my email full of notifications!**


	3. Not Alone

Chapter 3

Not Alone

Beckett woke slowly. It was very dark, and for a second she wasn't even sure that she was awake. Her mind felt disconnected and hazy much like it did after coming out of surgery. She knew something wasn't right, but couldn't figure out what. Carefully she tried to take inventory of herself, hoping for a clue as to why she felt this way.

It didn't take her long to realize that she was laying on her side, her cheek flat against a concrete slab, that in the dark, she could only assume was the floor. Her arms were tied at the wrists behind her back, causing her shoulders to go numb and her straining chest and abdominal muscles to burn. Her ankles were also bound together but not as tightly as her wrists.

After a couple attempts, Kate was able to get herself in a seated position with her back against the wall. Once there, she tried to look around the small space. If she had to guess, she figured that she was in some sort of empty utility closet. The walls were painted cinder block and were about five feet apart in every direction. There was a small round drain in the center of the floor, and the air was thick with the scent of mildew and industrial cleanser, like someone left a wet mop out.

Kate sat where she was, just listening. She had no idea why she was taken, who had taken her or what was outside of her makeshift prison. Right now she was safe, so until she could evaluate the situation a bit more, she wouldn't make any hasty moves. Outside from the occasional sound of water dripping from somewhere, there was only silence, so she slowly stood and hopped to the door.

Carefully, Beckett turned her body and tried to turn the knob. It was locked. She pressed her body against the steel door, but it didn't budge. She considered slamming her weight into it, but wasn't ready for her captors to know she was conscious yet, so she quietly moved back against the wall to think.

She didn't seem to have many options. There were no windows, the door seemed very secure, the drain in the floor was only about 3 inches wide, and even if she had her phone on her, she wouldn't be able to get to it. Kate moved as well as she could around the small space hoping to find anything of use. Her only discovery was a small air vent in the ceiling, which was of no help to her at all. Finally, she decided it was time to make some noise.

Beckett scooted back down onto the floor, a little way from the door and repeatedly kicked it as hard as she could. It didn't open, but it did get someone's attention.

A vaguely familiar male voice shouted at her through the door after several moments. It was the delivery man from the "florist". "Don't waste your energy Detective. Until the boss is ready for you, you ain't getting out of there."

"Who are you and what does your boss want with me?"

"I don't ask questions and you'd be better off if you didn't either. Now shut up before someone gets mad and shuts you up."

Beckett had to keep him talking. "How long have I been out?"

At first there was no answer, but eventually he spoke. "Maybe an hour, hour and a half?"

That meant she wasn't too far away from her place. It takes time to get an unconscious adult down three stories and to some type of vehicle without being seen, then taken somewhere and locked up. An hour or so wouldn't leave much travel time, especially in a New York City rush hour.

"You know I'm a Detective. I've got connections, if you let me go now, I can make it very easy for you."

"I don't think so. I'm not a personal fan of kidnapping women, especially cops, but if I don't deliver you to Tyson, I'm as good as dead."

Kate's mind was continually becoming cleared. So this Tyson guy was not above murder. That didn't look good for her. This had all the markings of some kind of revenge. She tried to think back over past cases for anyone named Tyson who might have recently gotten out of jail or who was associated with anyone she put away. Several options came to mind, but one made her blood run cold, Jerry Tyson. But she didn't fit his type and kidnapping didn't fit him MO. Kate pushed the possibility of being one of his victims aside. Anything was possible, but right now it seemed unlikely.

From somewhere on the other side of the door, a cell phone began to ring. Her captor answered. He had either dropped his voice or moved farther away from the door because he was hard to hear, but Kate still listened carefully to his side of the conversation.

"Yeah, she's here. They all are." Pause. "No, no one saw me, and if they did it just looked like I was taking an old carpet out to the trash. It all went as planned." Another pause, this one longer. "One hour right. See you then."

The conversation seemed to end there, and Beckett didn't like what she'd heard. It looked like others had been taken too. Now she had to consider their safety too before trying anything stupid.

"Why did you take me?" She called through the door.

"I can't answer that Detective," he signed. The almost apologetically he added, "Now stop asking questions. It'll be better for both of us."

Becket tried engaging him several more times but he was done talking. After several more minutes of her questions, she tried a new tactic and shared with him several unsavory ways this could end for him. Abducting one of New York's finest didn't go without repercussions. He never answered bu it wasn't long before she heard him start pacing nervously and then eventually a door slam. Apparently he left. Her gut told her that he was possibly as afraid as she was.

XXXX

Time passed slowly. The months after Montgomery's death were both a physical and mental uphill battle. The shooting had awakened many old nightmares and created a few new ones. Sitting alone in the dark, again contemplating her imminent future, opened the door to these fears yet again.

Kate had been seeing a department psychologist for more than two months now, trying to work through some of these demons. She thought she'd got them under control, but now she wondered if she'd just shoved them to the side instead.

Using one of the techniques Dr. Burke had showed her, Kate tried to clear her mind of the negatives and focus on instances of survival and strength. She thought about some of the happy endings she'd had to cases. She thought about her Sunday mornings getting coffee with her father. She thought about Castle and all the steps they'd taken together over the summer. Thinking of Rick seemed to help for the moment, allowing herself to relax and focus on trying to get out.

The sound of foot steps and then keys broke through Kate's thoughts. Kate quickly stood and faced the door, preparing physically and mentally for whatever would happen next.

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**A/N**

**OK, well that's the first one of the day. I'd like to get two more chapters out, time permitting. Sorry I didn't get anything up yesterday! My real life just doesn't understand where my priorities lie. Go figure! :)**

**Hopefully during nap I'll have time to do final run throughs for the next chapter or two, so keep your eyes peeled.**

**I'm glad so many of you are already into this story. It's my first attempt at a case fic/mystery/suspense. As a lot of you know, I tend toward warm and fluffy, but I like to dabble in many genres, so this is what my literary experiments lead to.**

**Thanks for all your continued feedback and support! See you again in a few more hours (hopefully)!**


	4. Forgetting To Breathe

Chapter 4

Forgetting to Breathe

Kevin Ryan had been in countless situations that made his adrenaline pump, his heart pound and his palms sweat, but never in all his years in law enforcement had he ever been so afraid that he forgot to breathe. Until today.

Sitting in the passenger seat of Lt. McGuire's squad as they raced through the streets towards Jenny's apartment, he held his breath in fearful anticipation of what they'd find.

Today was Columbus Day, meaning all the schools were closed. Jen had told him the night before that she'd planned to stay home and relax on her day off, hoping to clean out some closets and catch up on some reading. So when he couldn't reach her on either her home phone or cell, he wanted to vomit.

For almost a year now, Ryan had been waiting to hear that his gun and badge were used in a crime. He knew that it wasn't a matter of if, but when Jerry Tyson would be back. When Captain Gates showed them evidence that Jerry Tyson was possibly back in action, he thought one of his worst nightmares had come true, but he never thought that his Jenny might be one of Tyson's victims.

Ryan fought back the tears that wanted to spill. He told himself that they didn't know anything yet. He tried to focus on his training and get control, but his emotions were winning the fight.

When they arrived at her building, Kevin jumped from the squad before it even fully stopped, ran past the doorman and straight to the elevator. The time it took for the car to climb the seven floors was agonizingly slow.

Ryan had always been happy that Jenny lived in a secure building. Most public school teachers couldn't afford such a nice place, but her roommate's dad was the building manager and got them a great rate. Now he was kicking himself for assuming that would keep her safe.

When he made it to her unit, he didn't even bother knocking, with his weapon drawn, he just opened the door with his key.

At first glance, nothing seemed out of place. He was dashing from room to room calling Jenny's name when McGuire finally caught up with him.

"Is she here?"

"No," Ryan's voice cracked when he answered.

"And she's not at work or running errands or anything?"

"No, no. She was supposed to be here."

"Then you start looking for signs of a struggle. I'll call it in and start talking to neighbors."

Ryan nodded and McGuire turned toward the hall, already talking with dispatch.

Going back to the door, Kevin began his search for clues, looking around the home that was as familiar to him as his own place. To his left was the kitchen and the patio door. He was in the living area and directly in front of him was the hall that led to the bathroom and two bedrooms.

The living room was the same as it was the night before, when they watched a True Grit. The blanket that they'd snuggled under was half tossed over the back of the couch and the empty popcorn bowl was still on the end table. Nothing looked odd or out of place. No signs of struggle either.

Ryan walked on toward the kitchen. The only thing new there was a large bouquet of flowers, but that didn't seem suspicious, because Jen's roommate Claire was always getting flowers and teddy bears and such sent to her from her boyfriend, Pete. He traveled a lot and was constantly sending gifts.

The patio and bathroom was also clear, as was Jenny's room, and although he'd never been in Claire's bedroom before, nothing stood out to him as being odd. It did remind him though to call her and see if she was alright, and also to see if she knew anything.

Kevin went back to Jenny's room while the call connected, and looked through Jenny's purse that was on her dresser. It still had her keys, wallet and cell phone which had no recent calls in or out listed in its call records.

On the third ring, Claire answered.

"Hello?"

"Claire, it's Kevin. Have you seen Jenny this morning?"

"Um, no. Pete came in on an early bird flight this morning. I left to pick him up around 5:30 and she was still asleep. Something wrong?"

Kevin closed his eyes. If only she knew how wrong things were. Still, he didn't want to scare her.

"She's missing, and I can't get a hold of her."

Claire missed the strain in the man's voice and laughed. "I'm sure she's not missing. Maybe she's at the gym and her phone is in the locker."

"No. It's not just her, Claire. Don't tell anyone this, but my partner Esposito, his girlfriend and my boss Detective Beckett are both missing too. We think an old case may be back for revenge."

Claire gasped. "Oh my God, Kevin. What can I do to help?"

"Just let me know if you hear anything from her. And stay with Pete. Don't come back to the apartment until we know everything is OK."

"OK. I mean, are you sure? I, I, I feel like I should do something." Claire was now obviously distressed.

All of a sudden, something clicked in Ryan's head.

"Did you come home after the airport?"

"No, we grabbed breakfast at Eggcelent, and then I dropped Pete off at his place and I went right to work."

"If Pete was flying in early this morning, why did he send you the flowers?"

"What flowers?"

"I'm at the apartment now, looking for her or any signs of what happened and there's a giant bouquet of mixed flowers on the counter. They weren't there last night, so I thought you'd got them this morning."

"Pete didn't send me any flowers, and they were not there when I left."

"Thanks Claire, I'll let you know if we find out anything. OK?"

"OK. Go find her Kevin."

When Ryan clicked off his phone, he was back in the kitchen. After pulling on a pair of latex gloves, he started searching for a card amid the flowers. He didn't find anything but noticed that suddenly he was feeling light headed.

Thinking it was just from the stress of the moment, he sat on a bar stool and dropped his head, trying to clear his mind. It was then that he spotted the card.

He bent down and picked up the small square of card stock from the floor. In neat script it simply said "Surprise."

As much dread as this brought him, it also gave him hope. It was their first clue. He made a call and knew someone from CSU would soon be there to start lifting finger prints.

After finishing that call, he made another.

When the other line picked up there was no "Hello" or "How's it going?". Esposito cut to the chase. "Find anything?"

"Possibly. She's not here and there are no signs of a struggle. Her roommate was gone before she woke up and didn't see anything either, but there's a giant unexplained bouquet of flowers here, that wasn't here when Claire left at 5:30 in the morning."

"There's a bouquet here too. The card just says "Surprise." I was just about to text you and Castle about it. I've got CSU coming to do prints."

"Me too," Ryan answered.

"Something's not right about those flowers. They smell funny and when I was near them, I felt all woozy."

"You too? I thought it was just me freaking out."

"No, them flowers are wack, Dude."

"Call Castle, see if Beckett got flowers too. I think it's our lead."

"Will do."

After hanging up, Kevin looked at the giant floral arrangement. Barely handling the flowers made him feel sick. Jenny was a small person, if she carried them from the door, her face would be right in them. If someone put something on the flowers to drug her, it wouldn't take long for it to work.

Just then McGuire came back in.

"Hey Ryan, after talking to the neighbors on this floor, no one saw anything suspicious, in fact, only one person saw anyone in the hall at all this morning, and he was a florist making a delivery, but they didn't know to whom."

"Go back to that witness and find out everything you can. Try to get a time and description on the florist. I think he may be our guy. I'm going to go down and talk with management."

Somebody had to have seen something, and he'd question every person in the city if that's what it took to get his fiance' back safe and sound.

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**A/N After the last chapter, Tycho77 was kind enough to share the name of the therapist that will be on the show, "Dr. Burke". So I've changed Dr. Murdoch mentioned in chapter 3, to Dr. Burke, both in the last chapter and also in future ones. So when you read Dr. Burke later, please know that was orignally Dr. Murdoch, but no longer!**

**Sorry if that's confusing, but I like the authenticity of it and made the change!**

**Thanks Tycho77!**


	5. What The Doctor Ordered

**A/N: Mission accomplished 3 chapters out in one day. Hopefully tomorrow will give you a couple more! Thanks for reading!**

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Chapter 5

What the Doctor Ordered

"Stop pushing!" Dr. Lanie Parish snapped at her captor. "If you untied my feet, I could walk faster, but do you? No! Somehow when both of your brain cells rubbed together you thought that tying someone's feet up and then making them walk, for who the hell knows how long, was a good idea!"

The man stopped suddenly, jerking her also to a halt. The large man bent low, getting directly in the petite doctor's face. "Shut up, before I untie your feet and gag your mouth instead!"

It briefly occurred to Lanie, that someone who didn't work with death on a daily basis would probably wretch from the man's foul breath. "You know, as a physician, I'd recommend seeing a dentist. Your breath smells like decay. I'm sure you've got some kind of abscess in there. Don't be offended, I'm only telling you that for your own good."

The ugly man yanked her forward so that her nose met his. "I said shut the hell up. And as a_ physician_," he leered, "You should recognize that I'm telling you that for your own good."

Lanie resisted the urge to spit in his face. Undoubtedly it would only make things worse. Instead, she took a deep breath while defiantly staring him down. She jutted her chin forward a bit and continued to hold her head high. She would not let this slime see her fear. She would not give him that leverage.

After all, her best friend almost died in her arms earlier this year. This was not the worst thing that had happened to her, a close second, but not the worst. Thinking of Kate, gave Lanie an even firmer resolve to stay strong. Once her friend or boyfriend found out she was missing, Kate and Javier would leave no stone unturned until she was found.

Soon they resumed their slow march down the long corridor. Every step hurt. Despite the fact that this fool walking beside her tied the rope over the material of her scrubs, her ankles were now chafed and raw from the rope's constant rub.

Although the hall wasn't all that long, it took close to a half hour to get from one end to the other, but after being stuck in the dirty bathroom that had been her cell this morning, the hallway in its own way was a blessed relief.

Lanie replayed the day so far in her head, trying to get a real grasp for what was going on. It wasn't the first time today that she'd done this, but it still seemed surreal.

XXXX

After spending the weekend in Atlantic City with Javier, they'd got home quite late last night. He wanted her to stay at his place, but since she said she'd go in early to cover the end of Perlmutter's shift and because she felt like she was catching a cold, she had him drop her off at home.

So when the alarm went off after getting less than four hours sleep, Lanie hit the snooze no less than three times before finally getting out of bed. Her morning routine was mostly an uncaffeinated blur of activity that she could barely remember, but was completely uneventful. By six she was headed out the door. Just as she reached the sidewalk in front of her townhouse, her phone began to ring. It was Perlmutter.

"Dr. Parish" Lanie answered.

"Hi, this is Dr. Perlmutter. I know this is late notice, but the hospital just called and pushed my angiogram to tomorrow. So I'll be able to finish my shift after all."

She turned around and headed back up the stairs toward her front door. "Oh OK! Well that was actually great timing. I hadn't left yet. Thanks for letting me know!"

"Thanks for being willing to cover me."

"No problem!"

After the call ended, Lanie hung her jacket on the coat tree and tossed her phone and keys in her purse.

Instinct told her to use these unexpected free hours to work out or catch up on laundry, but exhaustion was a more influential persuasive. She now had close to three hours before she had to leave for work, and between her lack of sleep and stuffy head, she was not planning to spend them awake. So she went and took some cold medicine was asleep almost as soon as she laid down on the couch.

Almost exactly an hour later Lanie was startled from a deep sleep when the door bell rang. Groggily she shuffled to the door.

Through the decorative glass window, she could see a the silhouette of a large man carrying flowers.

"Hello," she called through the door.

"Delivery for the Parish residence."

The ME opened the door for the florist. In an almost caricatured display of New York City brusqueness, he shoved the vase of blooms into her arms.

"Um, excuse you." Lanie retorted.

The delivery guy was unfazed by her annoyance, whether it was because he didn't notice or didn't care, she didn't know, but immediately shoved his receipt pad toward her.

"Sign here and here," he commanded in a bored monotone.

Lanie tried to take the pen, but the flowers were too big and heavy to actually produce a signature.

"Hold on, let me put these down. I'll be right back."

The impatient man just rolled his eyes and muttered, "Don't take all day, I've got places to be."

After carefully setting the bouquet down on the hall table, Lanie returned to the man on her step to sign his pad and give him some unsolicited advice on customer relations. Half way through her first sentence he mumbled "Whatever" and headed back to his truck.

The woman stood and watched the man leave, still in slight disbelief over his rudeness. After he pulled away she went to go take a better look at the unexpected gift. Still a week away, she hadn't expected an anniversary gift from Javier yet, but he had been saying for a while now that she was too nosy and a little surprise in her life was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Before opening the card, Lanie touched and tried to smell several flowers, admiring their beauty. Javi knew her well, amid the roses, carnations and lilies were her two favorite flowers, orchids and calla lilies. She didn't think he'd actually been paying attention when she'd mentioned it last Valentine's Day, but apparently he did. Either that, or he couldn't remember exactly what she'd told him and that's why the bouquet seemed to have some of everything in it. Either way, it didn't matter. He was a sweet man and he was trying hard and that was very endearing.

Not being able to resist another sniff of the fragrant flowers, Lanie buried her face deep within the assortment and breathed as deeply as her head congestion would allow. The deep inhale partially cleared the doctor's sinuses but also made her very lightheaded. Thinking it was the cold meds, she figured she better sit down. When she turned toward the couch she started to fall but was able to catch herself on the table before slumping to the floor.

She had no idea how long she was out, but when she awoke, she was no longer in her house. Instead, she was in a nasty bathroom that both looked and smelled as if it hadn't been cleaned in years, if ever. She was propped against the wall with her wrists and feet tied up. It took a moment of thought but then she vaguely remember the events of the day and tried several times to call out to anyone who might hear her, but no one ever responded. Still exhausted and drugged she fell back asleep.

The next thing she knew, she was being hauled off the floor by a pair of giant hands. At first she was grateful, but when she looked up to see who her rescuer was, her hope faded. It was the obnoxious delivery man from before, but now instead of his uniform he was wearing a dingy t shirt and jeans. His expression told her he was far from being her savior.

"Get up and walk. I'm not carrying you," he snapped.

"What do you want with me?"

His only answer was to shove her into a hall.

Lanie's head was finally clearing. She looked around and tried to take in as many details as she could.

"Stop staring and walk!"

XXXX

When they reached the end of the hall, both Lanie and the man entered into the large open room of what was evidently an abandoned warehouse.

The dirty windows which were high on the concrete walls only let in a minimal amount of light, but it was more than either the bathroom or the hall had.

A shadowy figure leaned casually against a large support beam in the middle of the spacious room. When he spotted the two new comers he stepped into a dusty stream of filtered daylight.

"Welcome Dr. Parish we've been waiting for you. Sleep well?"

Lanie started to feel the bile rise in her throat. She couldn't have answered if she wanted to.

The man escorting her chuckled menacingly in her ear. "What? Nothing to say? Amazing."

The other man called to her captor. "Lou, put her with the others, and make sure she behaves."

Lou pushed Lanie harshly to the left and for the first time she saw that it wasn't just her and the two vile men in the room. Along the wall were two of her dear friends, Kate Beckett and Jenny O'Malley. Both were tied as she was and were being held in place by their own thug escorts. Jenny's eyes were red rimmed and wide with fear. Kate's eyes were angry and intense. Neither woman moved or spoke but that was no surprise considering they each had a knife pressed to their throats.


	6. Ransomed Hearts

Chapter 6

Ransomed Hearts

Castle pushed the button on his phone and slipped it into his pocket as he headed toward the elevator in Beckett's building. It was already past noon and they still had no idea where the women were. The crime scene teams were collecting evidence and the tech guys were placing taps. Everyone was trying to find them, but with so little to go on, it was agonizingly slow.

After the initial search of Kate's place, Castle had essentially been dismissed, but continued to hang around. He was not a cop, and Captain Gates had reminded Officer Burgess of that before they left the station earlier. So aside from opening the door with the key Kate had given him a few months earlier, and looking around calling her name, he'd pretty much been useless. A fact that left him feeling even worse than before.

Now he had to go meet the guys at the station to brief the Captain and compare notes. Burgess had given Castle a page of notes from the scene to take back to the station and even let him take some pics of possible evidence or clues with his phone, so at least he had something more than a basic civilian's account to present the chief.

When Rick stepped out onto the street, the sight of the heavy traffic combined with intense need to do something, persuaded him to walk back to the 12th. If he kept up the brisk pace he set out with, it wouldn't take more than twenty minutes tops, to arrive.

While he zigged and zagged between the pedestrian traffic of the lunch hour, Castle's thoughts were consumed with Kate. For the second time in less than five months he felt as if he'd lost her. Last time was bad enough. Watching her take that bullet and almost die in his arms certainly took years from his life, but in some ways this was even worse. In May they weren't a couple but now they were... well, at least they were closer to being one.

Castle broke into a jog as he remembered that night in his loft when they finally stopped tip toeing around the topic of "them" and were honest for once about how they really felt.

XXXX

"Bye guys. See you tomorrow," Alexis called over her shoulder as she and her friend Paige left.

Martha turned to her son and watched him for several long moments before speaking. "Dear, are you sure you guys will be OK? I can call and tell Henry I need to cancel. He'll understand."

Rick who was still a bit stiff and sore from his surgery, walked slowly through the kitchen, loading a tray with soda, candy and popcorn as he went. "Mother, we will be fine. You haven't done anything in more than two weeks, except dote on us. And while it was much appreciated, we're both doing much better. We can certainly handle sitting on the couch and watching movies without you holding our hands."

Martha didn't look convinced. Instead she reached to take the tray from Rick. "Here, let me."

"No. I've got it."

Kate turned slightly from where she was parked on the sofa. "We'll be fine Martha. Please don't worry about us. Go. Enjoy yourself. You deserve it."

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"See," Kate said, "Henry is already here. Its too late to change your mind. We promise we'll call if we need anything."

Ten minutes later, after Henry, Rick and Kate managed to convince Martha that it was fine to leave, Castle and Beckett sat next to each other on the couch searching through the On Demand movie options. While arguing the merits of Hitch verses Billy Madison, a rumble of thunder caught Rick's attention.

"Sounds like a storm's coming. I need to go close the windows." Rick tossed the remote at Kate. "Here, put Hitch on, but afterward we're watching some Adam Sandler!"

Kate rolled her eyes but smiled. By the time Rick returned, not only did she have the movie ready to go but was snuggled down into the plush sofa with a light blanket tossed over her lap.

When Rick sat down next to her she lifted the throw so he could join her under it. With a smile, he jumped at the silent invitation.

About half way through the movie, a bolt of lightning flashed right outside the window at the same exact time that a deafening crack of thunder clapped. Kate jumped slightly into Rick's side and then the cable went out. Before either could speak, another wave of thunder and lightning struck just as close and they were immediately plunged into darkness.

"You OK?" Castle asked.

"Yeah. Just it just startled me."

"Let me go find some candles or flashlights. Stay here, I don't want you tripping over anything."

Castle used the flashlight app on his phone and disappeared into the kitchen. The storm outside raged on, briefly illuminating the whole apartment with bright bursts of light. When he returned, he only had one tiny flashlight, a pan of brownies, a handful of birthday candles, and a half used matchbook from the Old Haunt.

"Wow, look at you boyscout, aren't you prepared?" Kate teased sarcastically.

"Hey! I did what I could. Most of the flashlights and stuff are in the cupboard over the fridge, but since I still can't lift my arms over my head yet, I can't get them. This is what I could reach."

Carefully he eased his body down, very close, to Beckett's.

"Now what I was thinking was, we can burn a couple little candles at a time, in the brownies, until we run out of them, then use the flashlight. I have no idea how long the power might be out, and until someone comes home, this is all the light we've got."

Before long, two candles were burning and Rick and Kate were left awkwardly staring at each other.

"So..." Castle stated. "How are you feeling?'

"Better every day." Kate swallowed and looked down at her hands before bringing her gaze back to his eyes. When she did, the flames from the candles danced in the unshed tears she tried hard to keep at bay. "I can't thank you enough for this, and well, everything."

Rick reached out his hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Kate. Don't do this. You don't need to thank me for anything."

"No, Rick. I do." She reached up quickly and pressed his hand to her cheek. "I can never thank you enough. Not only did you bring me here to recuperate, but you saved my life, twice, which included giving me part of your liver, even after the way I treated you."

Rick furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean, 'The way you treated me'?"

"The night you came to my place to ask me to step away from the case. I picked a fight with you and kicked you out because I couldn't let go of the past. Now look where it's gotten us."

"Stop right now! Stop blaming yourself for things that are out of your control. None of this stuff connected with your mom's case is your fault. And I knew you wouldn't give it up when I came to you that night, but I had to try. I was scared of losing you."

"I'm sorry for pushing you away."

"I understand why you did."

"That doesn't make it right though," Kate stated firmly.

The first candle flickered and burned out, breaking their gaze. Castle picked up another two candles and lit them with the one still burning. When he settled back on the couch he swore Kate was even closer to him.

"You were right that night."

Rick looked at Kate curiously but let her speak.

"Probably about backing down, but also about us. So much really has happened between us that we never talk about it. But how long can we keep skirting around the past and avoiding the future without addressing the issues?"

Castle shrugged, but it was obviously not a question that required him to answer.

Kate took a deep before pressing on. "I think we need to talk about it, now. Too much has happened this year to keep dancing around whatever it is we have."

Castle rearranged himself slightly so that he was fully facing her, but the movement also brought their legs into contact. A contact that she didn't break.

Rick stared at their touching legs in the low light. He wondered what he should say and what she'd already heard him say. It was one of those rare moments when he didn't have words, so instead he rested his hand on hers. She surprised him by lacing her fingers between his.

After a particularly loud clap of thunder, Kate spoke again. "I heard everything you said to me after I was shot."

"I wasn't sure if you had. I just.. I.."

"Did you mean it?" she asked quietly.

This was his chance. He could lay it all out on the table or he could brush it off as a moment of panic. Kate saw his hesitation and physically began to back away. The feel of her hand pulling out from his was what firmed up his resolve. He tightened his grip and tugged her toward him again.

"Every word."

"Really?"

"Really."

Their faces froze inches from each other, their breathing shallow but in sync. Rick wanted to kiss her but nothing in her eyes gave him the green light. She looked nervous, maybe even scared.

Rick spoke quietly, his voice deep and gravelly. "It's OK if you don't feel the same, but please just tell me. I need to know if we're just friends and partners or if there's more. I love you enough to let go if that's what you want."

The storm raging outside didn't come close to having as much electricity as the couple on the couch did. The air practically sparked between them.

"I care about you very much, Rick. In fact, I'm sure I love you too. But I'm scared of losing all that we already have. I don't want to just trade my best friend for my lover."

"Can't I be both?"

"I don't know. I've never had both. Have you?"

"No, but I've never had you."

Kate's eyes darted to his lips before she bit her own. Slowly the space between them closed. Bright blue lightning lit up the entire loft, the moment their lips met.

Rick's hand pressed firmly against the small of her back as she lifted herself into his lap. Energized by the closeness of their bodies, they mutually deepened the kiss. Long minutes passed as their lips caressed and their tongues danced. A hunger that they'd both repressed filled them as they embraced.

Everything around them was soon forgotten and Rick shifted so that he could lay Kate back on the couch. If Kate hadn't cried out in pain from the way her body moved, they certainly would have consummated their newly confessed feelings right there, but her distress brought both of them back to the moment.

"I'm so sorry, Kate. Did I hurt you?"

"No, it wasn't you. I'm just not healed enough for this. Neither of us are."

Her statement rang with truth now that Castle paid attention to his own aching torso.

Beckett gingerly sat back up and rested her head on Castle's shoulder. "I'm not trying to push you away, but I think we need to cool all this off. I need more time, physically and emotionally, and I think maybe you do too. A lot has happened in a little amount of time and I don't want this to just be a reaction from what we've been through. If this is going to really work, we need to take baby steps and just get used to being us."

Rick sighed and ran a hand down her side as he held her. He'd waited so long just to be this close, waiting longer contradictorily seemed to be both an impossible task and the least he could do for her.

"You're probably right, but I don't have to like it."

"I'm not asking you to wait years, just maybe a couple months until things go back to normal."

"I know, and just so you know. No matter how long I wait for you, it will always be worth it."

Kate smiled in the now complete dark. The candles had burned out and neither of them moved to light more. Instead they fell asleep holding each other until the power came back on several hours later.

XXXX

By the time the elevator doors opened on the homicide floor, Castle had pushed away his feeling of uselessness and strode directly to Gates' office. He wasn't going to stand idly by when his Kate was missing.

Ryan and Esposito were both already there, waiting for him. When he arrived and shut the door, it only took a little time to share what they knew. After they finished, the three men stood back and watched their new chief look over notes, pictures and a couple reports.

After a couple long silent minutes, the Captain looked up into the three pairs of anxious eyes. "I have no doubt that this is foul play and that the three are connected. All available department resources will be put into finding them ASAP. That being said, I'm telling you, you're all off the case."

The men began to argue but she cut them all off with a wave of her hand and a fierce stare.

"No, I will not reconsider. You are all part of this. This Jerry Tyson, intentionally targeted you guys for a reason. Staying on the case not only slows down the rest of us who are doing everything we can to get the women back, but it puts them in more danger. So for their sake, back off."

Castle felt as if he'd been slapped. Ryan looked like he was in shock, bust Esposito was furious. "We know Tyson better than anyone. We're an asset not a liability."

"Leave your phones on. If we need you. We'll call."

The hopelessness began to seep through Castle's pores again. "What the hell are we supposed to do at home? Just twiddle our fingers and wait for them to waltz in the door?"

"Like the song says Castle, 'You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.' I don't care what you do at home but if I see you guys here or at any of the crime scenes you'll be taken into custody."

Castle had heard enough. He slammed out of the office and over to Kate's desk, where his things were. The guys continued to try reasoning with their boss but were soon gathering their stuff as well. As they were packing up Ryan noticed Castle taking pictures of the murder board with his phone. He pulled his out too and took some of the files spread across his desk.

When the three men stepped onto the elevator, Rick finally spoke. "So Iron Gates doesn't want us here? Fine! We don't need to be here. She specifically said she doesn't care what we do at home, so lets go home and solve this. We can make my loft our new home base. You guys in?"

"Definitely," Ryan answered as Esposito nodded.

XXXX

Less than an hour later, the guys had Rick's office looking like a designer police station. A fresh pot of coffee steamed in the corner, pictures, notes and copies of evidence covered several surfaces and Rick was setting up his smart board with a time line on it.

"So we know from Kate's text, Lanie's call from Perlmutter and Jenny's wii records that all three were still at home and fine this morning. And from witness accounts received flowers around seven am. Obviously these were three different, quote unquote, florists because there's no way one person could get to all three homes in such a short time. So that tells us, Tyson wasn't the one who abducted them or at least not all of them. He's got people working with him." Castle stared at the board for more clues even as he spoke.

Ryan tossed a stack of papers onto the desk. "Do we have any information about security tapes or anything?"

"I know Whitmoore said he was going to be getting them soon. But I don't think they made it to the precinct before we were kicked out," Esposito answered.

A silence fell over the room that was only broken several minutes later by Castle's phone. He looked briefly at the caller I.D. before answering, but it was unavailable.

"Hello?"

"Richard Castle. It's been a while. Did you miss me?" Tyson's calm voice practically slithered through the phone.

Castle quickly waved the guys over and put the phone on speaker.

"I'd be lying if I said I did, Jerry. But I'm glad you called."

"I'm sure you are. I believe I have some very important people here with me that I'm sure you and your buddies miss."

"Are they safe?"

"They are. For now."

"Let me talk to them." Castle demanded.

"Oh no. I'm not putting them on the phone with you to chat. I know last time I let you talk to someone, you tipped them off. I don't know how and I don't care either. But I'm not letting you do that again."

"Then why are you calling me? What do you want?"

"Well you see, Ricky, you have something that I want, and now I have something you want. So I thought you'd be willing to do a little negotiating."

"What do you want?"

"Freedom! You and your little cop friends thought you were so smart figuring me out. But you weren't smart enough were you? I got away and with all your stuff. By the way, you can tell your friend Ryan, that his badge and gun came in very handy in Pittsburgh this winter."

Ryan's face was bright red as he listened. If he could reach through the phone and choke Tyson he would.

"Like you said, you got away. You have freedom. Why come to me for it?"

"Ha! I don't have freedom. I'm one of America's most wanted. It's only a matter of time before I'm caught. I need to leave the country, quietly, and since I don't have the luxury of just walking into an airport and buying a ticket to Mexico, I figured a man of your resources would help an old friend out."

"So you want me to get you out of the country?"

"I want you to get me a private jet with a pilot who knows better than to ask questions. And I want your two little partners in crime fighting to make sure that the NYPD looses track of me." Jerry was starting to get annoyed. This conversation was taking longer than he planned.

"And if we do this, you'll let the women go, unharmed?"

"Yes. You do this, and we'll make a quiet exchange."

"How do I even know they're still alive?"

Tyson let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine. Hold on."

Ryan, Esposito and Castle all listened as Tyson covered the phone and shouted out some unintelligible instructions to someone else in the room. When he came back on the phone he said, "OK. They'll each say their name and that they're OK. Nothing else. I'll be listening, and if I hear you try to tell them anything, or if they try to say anything else, someone is getting their throat slit. Understand?"

"Yes."

Several moments of silence passed before Jenny's terrified voice was heard over the line. "My name is Jennifer O'Malley and I'm safe."

Ryan didn't hide the tears that sprang to his eyes.

Next was Lanie who generally just sounded pissed off. "I'm Dr. Lanie Parish and I'm OK."

Esposito's knuckles turned white as he balled his fists. Castle wasn't sure if it was out of anger or to hold back the wave of emotion they were all riding.

They all expected to hear Beckett's voice next, so when Jerry came back on the line, the three guys shared a concerned look.

"Hey Castle, one more thing, before we go any farther. I know you have some close police ties. If I see one cop show up here, they're all dead."

Rick couldn't respond before Kate came on the line. "I'm Detective Kate Beckett, and I'm doing fine."

Immediately Rick recognized the hitch in Kate's voice. He'd heard the same pitch when she told him of her nightmares during her recovery. It tore out his heart that he couldn't do anything to comfort her.

"Now you know they're fine. Are you ready to make a deal?

"Where do you want the plane?"

"I'll call you back to let you know. In the mean time don't try anything heroic. It will cost you."

Before the despicable man could hang up, Castle called out to him.

"Tyson!"

"What?" He was exasperated.

"If you wanted me, why kill those other women in Greenwich Village?"

Jerry chuckled like he'd just been told a dirty joke. "You know what they say, if you want to do something well... practice, practice, practice."

The harsh burn of bile raising in Rick's throat cut off anything he could say, but it would have been no use anyway. The hum of the dial tone was already buzzing in their ears.


	7. Fear And Loathing In New York City

Chapter 7

Fear and Loathing in New York City

From where she was standing Kate heard Tyson's end of the entire conversation, and without doubt knew that Rick would do whatever was asked of him if it meant getting them back safe. The problem with that, was that could be a very stupid move. There were bigger things going on here than just their abduction. Tyson was asking for a free pass to start his murderous ways all over again, just somewhere else. She could only hope that Ryan and Esposito would help him keep a clear perspective on things.

Instinct told her that most likely the guys were not anywhere near the station. Even Montogmery would have kicked them out; they were too involved. She also knew that there was a good chance that Castle's phone was tapped for just such a call. Hopefully whoever was on the case could amend the situation before Castle let this douche bag get away.

Kate heard Lanie sniffle next to her and turned to look at her friend. She was no doctor, but she could tell that her friend wasn't well.

Lanie's head hung forward and sweat dripped from her face, although the room was fairly cool. Her cheeks looked rosy even from a distance, and every once in a while a chill swept through her body.

The man sitting next to her took no notice. He was playing with his phone instead.

Beckett's anger grew. She looked past Lanie toward Jenny. She seamed to be holding her own. Kate made a mental note that when they were all out of this she needed to tell Jen how impressed she was with her. She'd seen trained officers in less traumatic situations crumble.

When Lanie started coughing, Beckett watched as her shoulders jerked back in the restraints.

"Tyson!" Beckett shouted across the warehouse. Immediately her guardian came to attention and moved the knife back to her throat.

"What is it Detective?"

"Dr. Parish here is very ill. You're not going to get the guy's full cooperation if they feel she's been treated unfairly. Can't you untie her wrists? And get her some water. She's obviously not in any condition to try anything funny."

Jerry strolled casually across the room toward his hostages and looked over the woman in scrubs. When he stopped in front of her and raised his hand, Kate was momentarily concerned that he would back slap her, but instead he placed his hand on her head and felt for fever.

The man's touch perked the ME up. "Don't touch me. I'm fine. I don't need any favors from you."

Tyson crossed his arms smugly and raised an eyebrow at Beckett. "It seems she doesn't want my mercy. Which is a shame really. I'm rarely in the mood to offer it."

Jenny called out behind him. "Don't listen to her. She's delirious with fever. Maybe she'll let one of us care for her instead."

"No. That's not an option."

Tyson continued to watch the doctor as she chilled, weighing his options. Finally he turned and walked back to the table on the other side of the room where he had been working. As he retreated, he called back, "Lou, help Dr. Parish sit down and then get all the ladies a drink of water. It's the least we can do. After all, we wouldn't want to be considered inconsiderate hosts."

It took a few minutes but soon the large burly man was back with three small paper cups of water. He handed one to her captor who was evidently named "Junior" and another one to Jenny's captor who answered to "Smitty".

Junior held the cup up to Kate's lips and actually smiled. "Here, drink this slowly, I doubt he'll let you have more."

Kate looked down into the cup of clear liquid and swallowed. Her throat was dry and parched and the water looked like a gift from heaven, but Kate shook her head. "Give mine to Lanie. She needs it more."

"You don't mean that do you? This is the closest you're gonna get to comfort. Why would you give that to someone else?"

Beckett looked into Junior's gray eyes and was struck by his genuine confusion. She knew this was a cold hard city, but had this man gone his whole life without knowing the compassion of sharing a drink with a thirsty friend?

"She needs it more than I do. Please make sure she gets it."

Beckett watched Junior as he looked across the ten foot span between the women and watched the doctor. Her head was back against the wall and her eyes were closed, but there was nothing comfortable about the way she looked.

Then he turned and looked toward his boss and paled. _He was afraid of him._ That was a good thing to know. It might be to their advantage at some point. On the other hand it could work terribly against them too, but Kate chose to think positively this time. It's what Castle would do.

When Tyson had his back turned, Junior walked over to Lou. Kate couldn't hear what he said, but when he returned he had an empty cup, and Lanie was getting another drink.

Jerry turned around and watched the group behind him warily but eventually turned back to whatever he was doing.

Just looking at the man, made Kate's blood boil.

At one point Tyson left the room, and the moment the door closed behind him Junior relaxed.

Kate jumped on the opportunity.

Quietly so that no one but her captor could hear her she asked, "You don't seem like a kidnapper or murderer. Why are you running with Tyson?"

Junior stared long and hard at the detective, causing his features to soften ever so slightly. "Just the way the chips fell I guess."

"This isn't your fight, why do his bidding?"

"Do you think I'm doing this cuz I like it, or cuz I don't have anything better to do? I'm just trying to survive; same as you. Now why don't you shut up so we both have a chance at doing just that."

The side door swung open signaling Jerry's return; therefore ending the conversation, but Beckett continued to stare at Junior. A hard mask of anger and fear returned to his face. For the first time, Kate realized that perhaps these men were being held hostage by Tyson just as much as she was.

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**A/N: I'm having a bit of a slow morning, so even before eating breakfast or showering, I gave you two more chapters. At this rate the story will be complete by Thursday, or Friday at the latest. I'm so happy to see so many of you drawn into this story. I know I haven't taken the time to respond individually, to your wonderful reviews, but I have read every one, and I just want to thank you for your kind and encouraging feedback. Makes me think I might try my hand at another suspense fic later on.**

**Have a great day and happy reading!**


	8. Pictures Say More Than A Thousand Words

Chapter 8

When Pictures Say More Than A Thousand Words

Esposito looked up from the computer screen the moment Castle's phone began to ring. He and Ryan both held their breath as Rick answered and began to take notes on the legal pad in front of him.

"One hour, right," he said.

Castle hung up and looked at the two detectives.

"He wants me to meet him at the old Hackley warehouse down by the docks. It still has a runway that the CEO's used."

"Is that where the girls are?" Ryan asked.

"It's where he said we'd make the exchange."

"Let's go then!" Espostito exclaimed as he reached for his leather jacket.

Rick held out a hand. "He said to come alone. No cops."

Esposito shook his head. "No way. We've already held off from calling in back up, but I'm going to be there."

"So am I." Ryan agreed.

"But what if.."Rick stammered.

"Dude. We'll play it cool, but now it's time to change the game. Now he plays by our rules."

Javier swiped the keys to Castle's BMW off of the desk and headed for the door. "You two coming or what?"

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As he drove through the crowded rush hour streets, Esposito went over the game plan again. "When we get there, Castle, you can take the point and we'll flank you. If Jerry wants to play nice we'll make the exchange and then let him take off and get comfy. By the time Lanning is done with him, he'll never want to step onto another plane again. If he doesn't want to play nice, then we'll have to get rough."

After getting off the phone with Tyson the first time, Castle started making arrangements for the plane and Javier called an old friend who's served time as a combat pilot in the air force. Captain Reggie Lanning was honorably discharged after being injured but still taught flight lessons in New Jersey.

When Javier called and told him the situation, he was ready to help. If Jerry Tyson made it on to the plane, Lanning would stage a massive mechanical failure and give him the ride of his life, plus draw the attention of the public. He would not walk away scott free.

Also on the plane would be, Ike Thornton, Esposito's former partner and long time friend, posing as a co-pilot, but in reality, a well armed insurance policy. Thornton was more than happy to help not only Javier, but the rest of the team that had done so much for him.

Castle was awkwardly strapping on his writer vest in the front seat while Ryan loaded several guns in the back. Between the three men, they would be carrying eight concealed and visible weapons.

Esposito's phone vibrated. It was Lanning.

"Hey!" He answered.

"Hey yourself. Thornton's here with me and I've finished the flight check and am waiting for clearance to taxi out. When we land, do you want me to open up right away to cover you or watch for some kind of sign?"

"Open the door but stay in the plane. I have no idea how this is gonna go down."

"Will do. ETA is in 20 minutes. See you soon. And be careful."

"Thanks Bro, you too."

After the phone call ended, there was no more talking for the rest of the ride. Each man was to deep in his own thoughts.

When they finally pulled into the abandoned parking lot, they parked for a moment before proceeding to the agreed on entrance.

Javier noticed an SUV parked just down the street and also two homeless men shuffling down the road with a grocery cart full of blankets.

Even though none of this was out of place, it perked his detective senses.

"Heads up boys, we may have company."

He casually tilted his head in the direction of the passers by.

"Scouting?" Castle asked.

"Possibly."

Castle looked at his watch and then at the guys. "I guess I should call him and let him know I'm here."

Javier nodded. "Don't forget to get a current proof of life."

Rick nodded and then then hit pulled out his phone.

Waiting for the call to connect seemed to take forever but eventually someone must have answered because Castle sat up straighter in his seat.

Ryan and Esposito listened carefully to Castle's side of the conversation.

"I'm here."

"It should be here any minute."

"Yes I'm sure."

"I understand, no funny stuff."

"Yeah, I see it. Why don't you just send the women out and then you can fly away?"

"Yes I'm serious."

"Fine, then come outside and meet me. I'm not going to walk into an ambush. My pilot won't land if he doesn't see me."

Javier could tell the conversation was winding up and made hand signals to remind Castle to ask for more proof that everyone was safe.

"One more thing, Jerry. This doesn't go any farther until I get more proof that the women are OK."

Tyson said something Esposito couldn't make out and then for several long moments everything was quiet, until Rick's phone buzzed. He pushed a button that opened a picture. Castle held the phone out to the detectives. The picture was taken from a distance and was blurry. It proved nothing. They shook their heads no.

"Sorry Tyson, you need to do better than that. You could have taken that picture any time. Send me a video with all three of them together and close enough I can see their faces. I want proof of their safety not just that you have them."

Castle hung up and just stared at his hands. "He said he'd send it in a minute."

The time they spent waiting wreaked havoc on Javier's nerves. Up until now, he hadn't felt the same sense of consuming fear that the other two did. It wasn't that he didn't care about Lanie and the others, he just kept his emotions in check a little better.

But now that they were so close, his heart beat harder and his palms began to sweat. A brief image of what a worse case scenario would be like flashed through his mind, threatening to break him. To push that away he instead focused on the goal, on their reunion.

He checked and rechecked his weapons before holstering them, and then just tipped his head back and closed his eyes. Javier wasn't a religious man, but he found himself silently pleading to a God he didn't even know if he believed in.

When Castle's phone chirped, both he and Ryan moved in closer to see the video Tyson sent. Almost head to head, the three men crowded the small screen.

Seeing the three women tied up and shoved together, brought relief but not comfort. Their eyes were laced with fear and determination, ready for whatever would come next.

After being assured that they were all still relatively safe, Javier couldn't look away from Lanie. Fire burned in his gut when he stared at her face. She didn't look well, her eyes were glassy and her face flushed, but she was alive and apparently uninjured and at the moment that was all that was important.. He would do everything in his power to make sure it stayed that way.

They watched the video over and over again looking for clues. The others also noticed that Lanie didn't look well, and Kate was definitely in pain. Jenn looking physically unharmed, trembled visibly in the screen. Had Tyson or his men done something to them? The silent question caused the guys to clench their fists and grit their teeth.

It was hard to tell for sure, but it looked like there were shadows of two others and at least one pair of men's shoes that appeared briefly just before the video ended.

Esposito's adrenaline began to pump. He was ready to do this. "I think outside of Tyson, we should be prepared for another three to five others in there with with him, at minimum. Keep your eyes and ears peeled."

Ryan and Castle nodded solemnly and reached for the door handles.

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** A/N: So I was hoping to get both chapters 8 & 9 out this morning, but when reading the final draft of 9, I started adding more stuff to it, and now I'm now sure that chapter is done yet. So I promise I will do my best to have it out tonight but it's a super busy day, so I'm really not sure if it will post tonight or if it will get pushed to tomorrow, but it's on the way.**

**Again, thank you so much for all the amazing reviews! You're all wonderful!**


	9. Show Up For The Showdown

Chapter 9

Show Up For The Showdown

He felt no emotion as he walked toward the large industrial sliding doors at the back of the warehouse. In only minutes he would know if the plan would unfold the way it was supposed to or not.

A tense silence fell over the entire area. It was so quiet, the sound of the approaching aircraft reached them well before the plane was ready to land.

With a quick look back to see if the guys were ready, Jerry Tyson released the switch that opened the large metal doors. The old rusty mechanics hadn't seen much use in recent years, therefore creating an almost deafening metallic screech.

As they opened slowly, sunlight flooded in causing Jerry to squint. At first he thought his eyes were playing tricks with him, but no, that damn author didn't listen to instructions. Several yards away on the other side of the entrance stood Richard Castle along with his two cop buddies.

Tyson raised his gun and aimed for Castles chest.

"I said no cops Castle. I thought you were good enough with words to understand that!"

Ryan and Esposito also raised their weapons but otherwise didn't move or speak.

Castle lifted his hands slowly. "Today they aren't the police. Today they are my business associates. This _is_ a business deal isn't it, Tyson?" Castle took a quick look behind him and Jerry knew that he'd see Detective Beckett, the doctor and Ryan's fiance in a group, kneeling on the floor, with his three men towering over them, weapons in hand.

Tyson felt a small thrill at the fear in the macabre writer's eyes.

"I can see you brought your associates as well," Castle stated with forced casualness.

On the runway behind Castle and the detectives, the private jet taxied to a stop, briefly drawing Tyson's attention.

"How do I know you don't have more _associates_ on that plane? This whole deal is starting to smell. I don't think I can trust you."

Castle took a single step toward him but the sound of his gun cocking, kept him from taking a second one.

"I give you my word. I only arranged for a private plane, nothing else, and I never alerted the authorities."

Jerry mulled it over while watching the plane out of the corner of his eye. The door opened revealing a flight of stairs. A man in a flight uniform appeared for a second and then vanished out of sight, triggering a panicked thought. _What if he saw what was going on and called the cops?_

Suddenly all of his normally calm nature melted away and was quickly replaced by anger and fear. He wracked his mind for options but found very few that ended in his favor.

"No! I said no cops. Just you! You didn't listen and now you will pay!" Jerry tilted his head back toward the women. "Pick one!" he shouted.

Ryan's eyes darted to the people in the warehouse behind him and Esposito tightened his grip on his weapon. Castle didn't move but narrowed his eyes and spoke slowly. "What for?"

Jerry tilted his head and smirked. "To live."

"No."

"C'mon Castle. I've read your books. You love to decide who lives and who dies. This should really stroke your ego."

One of the women behind him, who he assumed was Beckett, called out and began to struggle but was soon muffled. Another one was crying softly.

"So who is it? Do you pick one of your friend's lovers? Or do you let your own love live?"

Watching the smug author pale only stoked the fire within him. "Are you surprised I know so much about you? You shouldn't be. Don't forget that besides Detective Ryan's badge and gun here," Tyson winked at Ryan, "by the way, thanks friend, they've come in real handy!" he turned back to Castle, "I took your phone and wallet too. You know, you should be more careful with what you keep in those things, it's amazing what you can find online about a person these days, especially when you have such helpful resources. It's really given me a great opportunity to get to know you. I almost feel like we're old friends."

Richard Castle's face went from pale to flushed. "Let me take their places."

"That Sir, is very valiant. And here I thought chivalry was dead, but no. You have one choice, you can pick who lives, or I will."

Esposito cocked his weapon and took a step to his left.

"Freeze or they all die. Shoot me and they all die. Shoot one of my men and they all die. If anyone of you or them tries to be a hero, THEY ALL DIE. Do you see a pattern here?"

No one moved or spoke.

"Now, all of you, put your weapons down, slowly."

Ryan and Esposito carefully put their guns on the black top and the unholstered the ones from their sides and put them down as well. Castle followed suit soon after.

"Good. Now kick them out of the way and take a couple steps back." Tyson was a little surprised that they obeyed.

"Smitty!" he called without turning around. "Mr. Castle here doesn't seem to be able to make a decision. So I will. Why don't you bring me the future Mrs. Ryan? It's her lucky day. I'm going to give her an early wedding gift; a chance to actually see her wedding day!"

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** A/N: Well, admittedly this wasn't a long chapter, but I warned you about the length at the beginning of the story. I'm hoping you still found it exciting and enjoyable.**

**What did you think about getting a chapter from Tyson's POV? Were you expecting it? Was it too much? I'm just wondering, for any possible future fics. I like to know what you like.  
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**Tomorrow, at some point, I will post the last two chapters back to back, because I think I might get angry emails and possibly menacing threats for leaving you hanging between the two. As is, I think I might get some for leaving you hanging here, but I'm doing it anyway.**

**Until tomorrow,**

**DeBo81  
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	10. Woman's Gotta Do What a Woman's Gotta Do

Chapter 10

A Woman's Gotta Do What a Woman's Gotta Do

The man named Smitty who had been at her side since delivering the flowers that morning pulled Jenny to her feet. He hadn't struck her as being particularly bright and seemed to forget that her feet were still tied when he pushed her forward, causing her to fall. Since her hands were still bound behind her back as well, there was nothing to break her fall except for her face.

As she hit the concrete, several concerned voices shouted out but were cut short by Tyson's sharp commands. "I said no one move. She'll be fine. Smitty cut the damn rope from her feet and bring her to me!"

Jenny barely noticed the chafing pull of the rope as the man cut through it; the pain in her cheek and nose was much more intense. When Smitty pulled her up again she noticed the swelling around her left cheek and eye were already beginning to block out her view of Kevin, but she never took her eyes off of him as they approached Tyson.

When they were by Jerry's side, he quickly wrapped one arm tightly around her waist and in the same movement turned the gun on Smitty and fired. "That was for being an idiot."

Smitty's lifeless body crumpled at her feet, in a pool of blood and gray matter, making her want to vomit.

Tyson then pressed the still hot barrel of the gun into the soft skin below Jenny's jaw. "Anyone else want to show me how smart they can be?"

When no one moved or answered, Tyson continued to run his mouth. "So Ryan, I bet seeing your fiance at the end of your own weapon makes you wish you'd been a bit quicker last year, huh? Maybe one day you'll actually be good enough to catch me. But not today."

"Shut up!" Jenny yelled. The events of the day were catching up with her, pushing past her breaking point. The steel of the pistol bit into her skin with every word, but she didn't care. "He's a great cop! They all are, and nothing you say can change that. You may have gotten away once, but you can't run forever."

Jerry lowered his voice so that only Jenny would hear him."That's very sweet of you to defend him. I'm sure that's adding to his masculinity, or what's left of it. Now if you want to see him again after today, let's take a little walk."

Tyson placed Jenny in front of him as a human shield and yelled back to Junior and Lou, "Cut the ropes from their feet and bring them over by the plane, as soon as I'm on board, I'll let this one go and you can take care of our unfinished business."

Lanie's captor spoke up. "But I thought we were all leaving."

"We are, if you do it right." Jerry answered as he walked toward the aircraft.

Jenny tried to drag her feet as they walked, hoping to trip Tyson up, but he was bigger and stronger and never stumbled. No matter where they were, she was always between him and the guys.

"Speaking of masculinity, you must be oozing with it, considering you're hiding behind a woman" Jenny spat.

"Shut the hell up, or I'll shut you up for good!" Tyson snapped and pressed the gun to her even harder, causing her to bite her tongue until she could taste blood.

When they got to the plane's steps, they stopped and waited for the others. When everyone was together, Tyson began backing up the stairs, leaving Lanie, Lou, Junior and Beckett in front of him on the tarmac.

Just before they reached the top, Jerry stepped back away from Jenny, presumably to hide in the plane., and woman's voice called out from the right side of the warehouse, drawing almost everyone's attention.

She was never able to spot the source of the voice before all hell broke loose.

Jenny felt something pass near her head before being knocked down by the sudden weight of Jerry Tyson's limp body on top of her.

Trying to see what was happening, Jen lifted her head from the steps and could see that Beckett had knocked Dr. Parish to the ground and was covering her with her own body. A pool of blood was spreading quickly near them on the white cement.

People were yelling, guns were firing and then someone jumped over her from the plane to the ground below.

Just as everything seemed to quiet down, Jenny felt the previously dead weight of Tyson's body shift, and instinctively she screamed. Just before she ducked her head down, Kevin came fully into her line of sight with his weapon drawn. The sound of a gun discharging next to her ear caused her to recoil and left her momentarily deaf.

The next thing the knew, a liquid warmth spread over her back and shoulders but then almost immediately the heat and oppressing weight were gone. Tyson was no longer on top of her. She opened her eyes to see the gun Tyson had been holding, resting on the step below her and Kevin running toward her.

A man she didn't know, but quickly realized was the pilot, helped her to her feet just in time for her to fall into Kevin's open arms. Jenny could tell he was talking to her but the ringing in her ears drowned him out.

Instead of trying to figure out what he was saying, she just buried herself in his chest and let the tears flow.


	11. Marching On

Chapter 11

Marching On

Several hours after the culmination of events at the old Hackley warehouse, Kate sat quietly next to Rick in the ER waiting room.

She, Jenny and Lanie had all been rushed to the hospital via ambulance per Captain Gates' orders, with the guys following right behind.

Kate had been examined but then released almost right away. Aside from a pulled pectoral muscle and a minor PTSD related panic attack, she was in good health. The doctor did advise her to continue seeing her therapist though, before promptly writing her a prescription for some sleeping pills.

Castle finished off his coffee and then shifted in his seat so that he could wrap an arm around around her. At first she stiffened at the public affection but after glancing around the almost empty room, relaxed and tipped her head against his shoulder.

Beckett was almost asleep when she heard the sound of high heels walking briskly across the vintage tile. Sensing who it was, rather than knowing, she sat up away from Castle just as Captain Gates rounded the corner into the room.

Castle pulled his arm back and stood, which seemed awkward, but she knew how intimidated he was by the new boss so she refrained from giving him a look.

"Captain Gates." Rick stated lamely.

"At ease soldier. You're off duty."

It was evident that she was trying to lighten the mood, but under the circumstances, Kate could barely force a smile.

Victoria Gates placed a large take out bag on the plastic coffee table and took a seat facing them. "I didn't know if any of you had eaten today, so I picked up some burgers and fries. Help yourself."

Kate was taken back. This side of the new Captain was not something she'd yet seen or expected. Rick was not nearly as stunned and dug into the bag.

"Beckett, Kate, you don't have to look so incredulous. I know you guys all call me "Iron Gates" and I'm sure I've earned my nickname, but I'm still human, and whether I agree with how things were handled or not, one of my teams had a harrowing day and is hurting. Right now you need to recover. There's time for censure later."

Gates reached into the bag between them and handed Beckett a packet of fries.

"Thanks."

The older woman took her time looking around the room, giving them a chance to eat a bit before speaking again.

"How are you doing?" Her boss asked.

"I'm OK. Nothing a few more weeks of seeing Dr. Burke won't cure."

Victoria nodded. "And the others?"

"Dr. Parish wasn't injured but is getting some IV fluids for dehydration. Apparently she was getting sick before this all started and kinda went downhill fast. We're waiting for them now so we can give them a ride and help them get settled at home. Ryan's fiance, Jenny, has a broken nose, a face full of road rash and a concussion and is waiting for x-rays to make sure there were no other facial or cranial breaks. She'll be here overnight at the very least for observation."

"I'm sorry this happened to you, but I'm glad you all walked away," Gates looked at Rick, "even you."

Castle popped a fry into his mouth and smiled. "I'm growing on you."

"Don't bet on it."

A nurse came into the room and they all turned to see if she was bringing them news, but she went to another family instead.

Rick wadded up the empty sandwich paper and tossed it into the trash can several yards away.

"In the hole!" he exclaimed before turning back to the chief. "Speaking of great shots. The one you took out Tyson with was amazing."

"Well at least it stunned him. I'm just glad Ryan was able to finish him off before he took another victim."

Beckett nodded. "None of us ever want to have to kill someone, but I'm sure on some level, Kevin found pulling that trigger a relief. Tyson has been a burden to him for a long time."

The older woman nodded thoughtfully.

"I've gotta know something, Captain Gates," Castle asked. "How did you know we were there. We never reported back."

"No you didn't, and heaven forbid, if you find yourself in another situation like that, call it in! Thankfully you, Espostio and Ryan already had your phones tapped this morning before Tyson contacted you. We heard everything. I wanted to bring you all in so you couldn't do anything stupid but Karpowski convinced me to put a detail on you instead and just follow you in. I'm sure the SWAT team's fingers were just itching to get a clear shot that wouldn't get anyone's throats slit. I just happened to get the oportunity first. At least they had the satisfaction of taking out Lou Palozzi."

"What about Junior?" Beckett asked.

"He'll be doing some time, but because he helped you out by untying you and is giving us information on several of Tyson's last escapades, I'm sure he'll get a reduced sentence. Turns out, he was only helping Tyson to save his own life. While spending time in a cooling shelter in Philly this summer, he witnessed Tyson kill a guy and said he'd do anything not to be his next victim. I doubt he ever could have predicted what a promise like would involve."

As the last words left Gate's mouth, Esposito pushed Lanie, who was in a wheel chair, into the room.

"Captain." Javier said and nodded in greeting.

Gates stood and got ready to leave. "Detective, Doctor, it's good to see you're able to leave this place so soon. I hope you're both doing better."

Lanie nodded. "I don't need to be in this damn wheelchair, but someone won't shut up about it. It's easier just to appease him."

The Captain smiled. "That sounds like my husband too, who I'm sure is wondering where I am." Sate paused briefly to look everyone in the eye. "I don't expect to see any of you in for a couple days. Stay home. Regroup. I need you at your best."

Beckett and Esposito shared a look before turning back to their boss.

"Thank you Captain, I appreciate that."

Gates turned to leave but then Kate finished speaking. "But we'll see you in the morning."

The chief never looked back but shook her head as she departed.

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After dropping Lanie and Esposito off at Javier's place, Castle started driving towards Beckett's apartment.

"Do you want to just pick up some stuff and come back to my place?"

"I don't know, Castle. Alexis might not be too thrilled about that. Especially after everything that happened today."

"It was actually her idea. I called her while you were in the bathroom."

"I thought she was upset with me because I'm always putting you in danger?"

"We've talked a lot about that, as a family these last couple weeks, and she's coming around. In fact when I told her we kinda put our relationship on hold for her, she got upset and told me not to be stupid. She wants me to be more careful out in the field with you, not to push our relationship off."

"Wow. I didn't know. I guess that kinda changes things doesn't it?"

"It doesn't have to. We agreed to take things slow, and I'm happy with that. I care about you and I know you care about me. If we allow things to run their course, everything will work out as it should."

Kate listened to what he said and considered everything that had happened not only over the last weeks and months but even just today. She didn't want to be alone when the dreams came tonight. She didn't want to have to fight the demons without him by her side.

"If I did come over,"

Castle interrupted her, trying to finish her sentence, "You could have the guest room."

"And if I don't want to sleep in the guest room?"

Rick raised his eyebrows and tore his eyes from the road to look her in the eyes. "Are you saying you want to stay in my room? With me?"

"Maybe. But not for _that_. I just don't want to be alone."

Rick nodded and placed a hand on her knee. "I'd be happy to keep you company."

Kate covered his hand with hers and scooted down in her seat. "Well in that case, Rick. Let's go home."

The End

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**A/N: Well there you have it. Not an epic length fic, but I know good things can come in small packages too.**

**Thank you for all your amazing support and feedback! Your tweets and reviews make my cheeks hurt from grinning. If you're one of those who've enjoyed it, please let your friends know.**

**Once again thank you Teelduo (and everyone else who answered my tweet questions), this story would have been scrapped at chapter two if not for you!**

**Have a wonderful summer! Perhaps we'll meet again before the new season, but if not, Happy Season 4!**


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